Coin processing systems, methods and devices

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods and devices for processing coins are presented herein. A coin processing system is disclosed which includes a housing with a coin input area for receiving a batch of coins, a controller with a communication interface operatively attached to the housing, and a coin processing unit for counting, discriminating, and/or valuing coins received from the coin input area. The coin processing system also includes a mobile coin receptacle removably disposed within the housing and configured to receive coins from the coin processing unit. The mobile coin receptacle is configured to wirelessly communicate information to the communication interface of the controller. The mobile coin receptacle can include one or more electrical contacts that mate with one or more electrical contacts on the housing to wirelessly communicate the information.

CROSS-REFERENCE AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/424,549, which was filed on Dec. 17, 2010, andU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/506,852, which was filed onJul. 12, 2011, both of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir respective entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to systems, methods and devicesfor processing coins. In particular, aspects of this disclosure relateto coin processing machines and systems that utilize movable and/orremovable coin receptacles.

BACKGROUND

Some businesses, particularly banks, are regularly faced with a largeamount of coin currency which must be organized, counted, and recorded.To hand count and record large amounts of coins of mixed denominationsrequires diligent care and effort, and demands significant manpower andtime that might otherwise be available for more profitable and lesstedious activity. To make counting of coins less laborious, machineshave been developed which automatically sort, by denomination, a mixedgroup of coins, and discharge the denominated coins into receptaclesspecific to the various denominations. For example, coin processingmachines for processing large quantities of coins from either the publicat large or private institutions, such as banks and casinos, have theability to receive bulk coins from a user of the machine, count and sortthe coins, and store the received coins in one or more coin receptacles,such as coin bins or coin bags.

A well-known device for processing coins is the disk-type coin sorter.In one exemplary configuration, the coin sorter, which is designed toprocess a batch of mixed coins by denomination, includes a rotatabledisc that is driven by an electric motor. The lower surface of astationary, annular sorting head is parallel to and spaced slightly fromthe upper surface of the rotatable disc. The mixed batch of coins isprogressively deposited on the top surface of the rotatable disc. As thedisc is rotated, the coins deposited on the top surface thereof tend toslide outwardly due to centrifugal force. As the coins move outwardly,those coins which are lying flat on the disk enter the gap between thedisk and the guide plate. The lower surface of the sorting head isformed with an array of exit channels which guide coins of differentdenominations to different exit locations around the periphery of thedisc. The exiting coins, having been sorted by denomination for separatestorage, are counted by sensors packed along the exit channel. Arepresentative disk-type coin sorting mechanism is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,009,627, to James M. Rasmussen, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

FIGS. 1 a-1 b show a coin processing device 10 having a pivoting coininput tray 12 configured to hold coins prior to inputting the coins intothe coin processing device 10. The coin tray 12 pivots upwardly to causecoins deposited therein to move, under the force of gravity through ahopper, funnel, or chute, into a sorting mechanism (not shown) disposedwithin a cabinet. The sorting mechanism discharges sorted coins to aplurality of coin bags (see FIG. 1 b) suspended within the cabinet 14,the bottoms of the bags may rest upon a platform 22, or may hang frombag holders 16 attached to a support member of a moveable bag receptaclestation 18, which if configured (e.g., via casters 21, etc.) to travelinto and out of the housing 14 to facilitate access to coin receptaclesleeves via door 20 by authorized personnel.

FIG. 2 shows an example wherein moveable receptacles 38 are disposed onglide units 31-35 that slide into and out of the of the housing 30 ofthe coin processing device. The moveable receptacles 38 comprise coinbag partitions that prevent coins bags disposed in the moveablereceptacles from interfering with adjacent coin bags as the coin bagsbecome filled.

FIG. 3 shows an example wherein a coin processing device includes a coinbin 44 disposed within the housing 40 and behind door 46, which is shownin an open position. In this configuration, all of the processed coinsare commingled in the coin bin 44. The coin bin 44 is disposed on wheelsand includes a handle 42 pivotally attached thereto for pulling the coinbin from within the housing.

U.S. Published Patent Application Serial No. US 2004/0256197, assignedto the assignee of the present disclosure, is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,188,720 B2, 6,996,263 B2,6,896,118 B2, 6,892,871 B2, 6,810,137 B2, 6,755,730 B2, 6,748,101 B1,6,731,786 B2, 6,724,926 B2, 6,678,401 B2, 6,637,576 B1, 6,609,604,6,603,872 B2, 6,579,165 B2, 6,318,537 B1, 6,171,182 B1, 6,068,194,6,042,470, 6,039,645, 6,021,883, 5,997,395, 5,982,918, 5,943,655,5,905,810, 5,865,673, 5,743,373, 5,630,494, 5,564,974, 5,542,880, and4,543,969, each of which is assigned to the assignee of the presentdisclosure, and also each of which is incorporated herein by referencein its respective entirety.

SUMMARY

According to some aspects of the disclosed concepts, a coin processingsystem is disclosed. The coin processing system includes one or morecoin bags and a housing with a coin input area configured to receive abatch of coins. A coin processing unit is operatively coupled to thecoin input area and configured to at least one of count, discriminate,sort, and value coins received from the coin input area. A wheeledtrolley is removably disposed within the housing. The wheeled trolleyincludes a base, and a removable coin receptacle sleeve that issupported by the base and configured to receive at least some of thecoins output from the coin processing unit. The removable coinreceptacle sleeve has an upper portion with a first volume adjacent alower portion with a second volume, at least the lower portion of theremovable coin receptacle sleeve being configured to fit inside the coinbag, at least the upper portion of the removable coin receptacle sleevebeing configured to extend out of the coin bag such that a full coinheight to which coins can be fed into the removable coin receptaclesleeve is above a bag height of the coin bag

According to other aspects of the disclosed concepts, a mobile coinreceptacle assembly for a coin processing system is presented. The coinprocessing system has a housing configured to receive a batch of coins,a coin processing unit operable to process coins received by thehousing, a coin bag, and a controller with a communication interface.The mobile coin receptacle assembly includes a movable trolleyconfigured to removably insert into the housing of the coin processingsystem. A coin receptacle sleeve is removably attached to the trolleyand supported by the trolley's base. The coin receptacle sleeve isconfigured to receive through an opening in an upper portion thereof atleast some of the coins output from the coin processing unit. Theremovable coin receptacle sleeve includes a lower portion adjacent theupper portion. At least the lower portion of the removable coinreceptacle sleeve is configured to fit into to the coin bag, while theupper portion is configured to extend out of the coin bag such that afull coin height to which coins can be fed into the removable coinreceptacle sleeve is above a bag height of the coin bag.

The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment, or everyaspect, of the present disclosure. The above features and advantages,and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of theillustrated embodiments and best modes for carrying out the inventionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are alternate views of a representative coinprocessing machine employing conventional coin bags.

FIG. 2 is a perspective-view illustration of a representative coinprocessing machine unit employing moveable receptacles.

FIG. 3 is a perspective-view illustration of a representative coinprocessing machine unit employing a moveable coin bin.

FIG. 4 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a cable-freebag trolley bearing coin receptacle sleeves in accord with aspects ofthe present concepts.

FIG. 5 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a number ofcable-free bag trolleys, in accord with FIG. 4, and a coin receptaclesleeve bag logic system with manifold spring contacts functionallyinteracting with contacts on the receptacle in accord with aspects ofthe present concepts.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective-view illustrations of examples of manifoldspring contacts in accord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 8 is a perspective-view illustration of a representative coinprocessing device coin receptacle sleeve in accord with aspects of thepresent concepts, showing conductive members extending along an outsidesurface of the coin receptacle sleeve from the top to the bottom of thecoin receptacle sleeve, on both sides.

FIG. 9 is an alternate perspective-view illustration of the coinreceptacle sleeve of FIG. 8, showing a top portion of the conductivemembers extending along the outside of the coin receptacle sleeve, andfurther showing an internal handle with manifold spring contacts.

FIG. 10 is an alternate perspective-view illustration of a portion ofthe coin receptacle sleeve of FIG. 8, showing a deflector in accord withaspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 11 is a side-view illustration of the coin receptacle sleeve ofFIG. 8, showing a lower portion of the coin receptacle sleeve having asmaller cross-sectional area that an upper portion of the coinreceptacle sleeve.

FIG. 12 is a perspective-view illustration of a coin receptacle sleevehandle in accord with aspects of the present concepts having two exposedmetal plates configured to make electrical contact with manifoldcontacts, such as those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIGS. 13 a-13 c illustrate a number of examples of coin receptaclesleeve handles, in accord with aspects of the present concepts,including different configurations (FIGS. 13 a-13 b) of the two exposedmetal plates configured to make electrical contact with the manifoldcontacts, such as those shown in FIGS. 6-7.

FIG. 14 is a perspective-view illustration of a portion of the trolleybase of FIG. 4, in accord with aspects of the present concepts,depicting a molded piece with a pair of spaced electrical contactsconnected by a resistor.

FIG. 15 is an underside plan-view illustration of a variety of circuitsin the manifold shown in FIG. 5, in accord with aspects of the presentconcepts.

FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view illustration of the manifold andcircuits of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the logic of the electricalcircuits shown in FIG. 15.

FIGS. 18 a and 18 b are alternate perspective-view illustrations of acoin receptacle sleeve cradle, in accord with aspects of the presentconcepts, which contacts a coin receptacle sleeve.

FIG. 19 is a perspective-view illustration of a representativeconfigurable manifold component configured to divert coins from an inputtube to one of four coin receptacle sleeve inputs in accord with aspectsof the present concepts.

FIG. 20 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a divertertube in accord with aspects of the present concepts, the diverter tubebeing rotatably coupled relative to the configurable manifold componentof FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a perspective-view illustration of a motor with atiming-belt-drive system configured to rotate the diverter tube of FIG.20 relative to the configurable manifold component of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 shows an enhanced view of the configurable manifold component ofFIG. 19, the rotatably coupled diverter tube of FIGS. 20 and 21, and alimit switch activated by engagement of a limit switch roller withspaced apart recesses in the diverter tube.

FIG. 23 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a bypasstube, in accord with aspects of the present concepts, that can be usedfor configurations in which all four stations of the configurablemanifold component of FIG. 19 are not the same denomination.

FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective-view illustration of the representativeconfigurable manifold component of FIG. 19, with the outer shell hiddento show two bypass tubes, such as that shown in FIG. 23, disposed in twopositions.

FIG. 25 is a perspective-view illustration of the shell of theconfigurable manifold component of FIG. 19.

FIG. 26 is a perspective-view illustration of the base portion of theconfigurable manifold component of FIG. 19.

FIG. 27 is a top perspective-view illustration of the configurablemanifold component of FIG. 19, showing an example of a path of rotationof the rotatably coupled diverter tube of FIGS. 20 and 21.

FIG. 28 is a top perspective-view illustration showing four adjacentconfigurable manifold component assemblies in accord with aspects of thepresent concepts.

FIG. 29 shows an example of a sorting head in accord with aspects of thepresent concepts.

FIG. 30 is a view of a portion of the sorting head of FIG. 29, shown ina first state with a first exit slot open in accord with aspects of thepresent concepts.

FIG. 31 is an alternate view of the portion of the sorting head shown inFIG. 30, showing the sorting head in a second state with a first exitslot closed in accord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 32 is a perspective-view illustration of selected components of arepresentative coin processing system in accord with aspects of thepresent concepts.

FIG. 33 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a cable-freecoin bin in accord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 34 is a perspective-view illustration of an example of a contactspring assembly in accord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram illustrating the logic of the electricalcontacts shown in FIGS. 32-34.

FIG. 36 is a perspective-view illustration of an exemplary coin tube inaccord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 37 is a perspective-view illustration of a pair of exemplarymounting brackets in accord with aspects of the present concepts.

FIG. 38 is a perspective-view illustration of an exemplary coin funnelin accord with aspects of the present concepts.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example inthe drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should beunderstood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited tothe particular forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail representative embodiments with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the variousaspects and principles of the invention, and is not intended to limitthe broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. Tothat extent, aspects and features that are presented, for example, inthe Abstract, Summary, and Detailed Description of the IllustratedEmbodiments sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, shouldnot be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, byimplication, inference or otherwise.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer tolike features throughout the several views, FIG. 4 shows a trolleysystem 100 implementable with a bag logic system in accord with at leastsome aspects of the present concepts. As will be developed in furtherdetail below, each cable-free trolley system (or “wheeled trolley”) 100functions as a mobile coin receptacle for receiving coins from a coinprocessing device (represented herein by the manifold 140 portrayed inFIG. 5), which may include any of the disk-type coin sorters describedabove, the coin processing devices set forth in the patents incorporatedherein by reference, or any other now known or hereinafter developedcoin processing device. The trolley system 100 can also operate to stowand/or transport coins received from the coin processing device 140,which will also be developed further below. In accord with aspects ofthe present disclosure, a coin processing system is defined, at least inpart, by the trolley system 100 and coin processing device 140. Althoughthe trolley system 100 reflects one embodiment of the present concepts,the aspects described herein are implementable without a trolley and theprovision of the trolley is not to be construed to be a limitation onthe concepts disclosed herein.

The trolley system 100, when in at least one of a number ofpredetermined orientations, can wirelessly communicate information to acommunication interface of a controller of the coin processing unit. Asused herein, “wirelessly communicate” is inclusive of, but not exclusiveto, the transmission of information signals between two devices withoutthe use of connecting hardline or wired interfaces between the twodevices. By way of example, and not limitation, the bag logic system ofFIG. 4 utilizes a number of electrically conductive interfaces forcommunicating information between one or more mobile coin receptacles100 (e.g., FIGS. 4 and 5) and a controller 150 of a coin processingsystem (e.g., FIG. 5). For instance, the wheeled trolley 100 can includeat least one, and in some embodiments a (first) plurality of electricalcontacts, which may comprise, singly and in any combination, electricalcontacts 300 (also referred to herein as “first electrical contact(s)”)on the trolley base 110, as best seen in FIG. 14, electrical contacts310 (also referred to herein as “third electrical contact(s)”) on thecoin receptacle sleeve 120, as best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, andelectrical contacts 320 (also referred to herein as “fourth electricalcontact(s)”) on the coin receptacle sleeve handle 130, as shown in FIGS.9 and 12-13 c. The coin processing system, in turn, can also include atleast one, and in some embodiments a (second) plurality of electricalcontacts, which may comprise manifold springs 330 (also referred toherein as “second electrical contact(s)”) attached to a stationarymanifold 140. The electrical contacts 320 on the coin receptacle sleevehandle 130 are packaged to electrically contact with the conductivemanifold springs 330, which are best seen in FIGS. 5-7, 15-16 and 28. Asan aside, the use of “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” “fifth,” etc.in the specification and claims is not intended as limiting andtherefore should not be construed as such.

Utilizing the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, the bag logic system can beconfigured to determine if one or more coin receptacle sleeves 120 arein the correct position (e.g., properly oriented to receive processedcoins from a coin processing device), if a substantially non-conductivecoin bag 170 (e.g., formed entirely or in part from cloth, such ascanvas, or plastic and other polymers, such as vinyl and nylon, etc.) isdisposed over or otherwise operatively attached to the coin receptaclesleeve 120, whether there are coins and/or a predetermined level ofcoins in the coin receptacle sleeve 120, or any combination thereof. Allpowered electronic components can therefore be located on the stationarymanifold 140 or at other locations in the housing, while allowing thetrolley module 110 to be electrical cable-free. In this vein, thevarious components disposed on the trolley 110 can be limited to onlyprovide an electrical path when the trolley and components borne therebyare properly positioned. In this configuration, the coin bag containmentsystem noted above and elsewhere herein, in combination with a coin bagdisposed over the bottom portion of the coin receptacle sleeve 120,delivers all needed bag logic features while eliminating the need for atrailing cabling (e.g., ribbon cables, umbilicals, etc.) and batteriesor other power sources for on-board electronic components.

In normal operation, each of the coin receptacle sleeves 120, or apredetermined portion thereof, is placed inside of a coin bag to keepcoins within a designed volume during filling of the coin bag. Ineffect, the coin receptacle sleeve 120 acts as an internal armature,providing an otherwise non-rigid coin bag with a generally rigidinternal geometry. By filling into a substantially constant or aconstant geometry, bag storage efficiency has been determined toincrease from 12 bags (e.g., 6 side-by-side trolleys) to 16 bags (e.g.,8 side-by-side trolleys) in the same sized cabinet (e.g., samefootprint) that would normally house a single coin bin (which typicallyholds about the equivalent of about 9-10 coin bags) or a plurality ofcoin bags (typically about 6 coin bags). A “coin bag,” as used herein,may be defined to consist of a single, standard-size Federal Reservecoin bag. In some non-limiting examples, a standard-size Federal Reservecoin bag holds at least approximately $50.00 in pennies, at leastapproximately $200.00 in nickels, at least approximately $1000.00 indimes, or at least approximately $1000.00 in quarters, such as is setforth in the Federal Reserve “Operating Circular 2,” issued Jan. 2,1998, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Othernon-limiting examples include coin bags which, when laid flat, areapproximately 20″×16″, approximately 12″×19″, approximately 14″×28″, orapproximately 9″×17.5″.

The coin receptacle sleeve 120 has optional features described hereinwhich are used to notify the coin processing machine of fill errors, thepresence of coins in the coin receptacle sleeve, etcetera. In at leastone aspect, the coin receptacle sleeve omits these notificationfeatures. In alternative arrangements, the coin bag may be disposedinside of the coin receptacle sleeve 120 or may be affixed to the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 in other manners and by other means.

The coin receptacle sleeves 120 prevent the coins from encroaching onadjacent coin bag space, thus allowing for more bags in a significantlysmaller footprint. The coin receptacle sleeve 120 is designed, in someembodiments, to be able to hold coins above the height of the coin bag,so that a full bag of coins can fit into a shape determined to be moreefficient. The coin receptacle sleeve 120 constrains coins to apredefined volume and a confined footprint and alleviates previousindustry problems of bag overflows while simultaneously increasing coinstorage capacity. In one embodiment, the sleeve is 2.75″ wide and 12.2″deep at the top opening. In a trolley configuration, two such coinreceptacle sleeves 120, in a tandem configuration, fit into a 3″ widetrolley, allowing for eight tandem trolleys to hold 16 sleeves (and 16bags) in the same space that conventionally would holds 12 coin bags.When the coin receptacle sleeves 120 are full, or otherwise requireremoval, and the trolley 110 racked out to permit replacement of thefull coin bag with an empty coin bag (e.g., when every mixed-coin coinbag in a mixed-denomination configuration is full and the machine needsto be removed from service), an authorized person may simply remove thecoin receptacle sleeve 120 to release the coins into the bag. The coinreceptacle sleeve 120 is also advantageously, but not necessarily,equipped with electrical contacts 310 which work with the bag logicsystem to determine correct sleeve placement, bag presence, coinpresence, and coin overflow.

The concepts presented herein are not limited to the aforementioned 12bag (i.e., 12 sleeve) configuration or 16 bag (i.e., 16 sleeve)configuration and may optionally be expanded to more than 16 bags if theheight of the sleeve is further increased (thus correspondingly reducingthe footprint). For instance, if the footprint of the machine isincreased, additional trolleys 110, coin receptacle sleeves 120, coinbags, and combinations thereof, may be incrementally added (e.g., 18bags/sleeves, 20 bags/sleeves, 22 bags/sleeves, etc.). Further, in atleast some aspects of the present concepts, the bag logic systemdisclosed herein may be optionally implemented in combination with(e.g., side-by-side) conventional bag systems, bins, or other coinreceptacles. In this vein, the bag logic systems presented herein mayoptionally be contracted in size to fewer than 12 or 16 bagconfigurations without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure.

In some embodiments, approximately 16 coin bags can be stowed and filledin a footprint of approximately 6.25 sq. ft. or approximately 0.39 sq.ft. per bag. In other embodiments, approximately 16 coin bags can bestowed and filled within a footprint of approximately 4.67 sq. ft. orapproximately 0.29 sq. ft. per bag. Other embodiments can include a 16coin bag system with a bag storage footprint of approximately 3-8 sq.ft. or, in some embodiments, approximately 4-7 sq. ft. or, in someembodiments, 4.5-6.3 sq. ft. The overall cabinet footprint can beapproximately 700-800 sq. in. or, in some embodiments, approximately 762sq. in. In a 16 bag configuration, this would amount to approximately43.75-50 sq. in. per coin bag or, in some embodiments, approximately47.62 sq. in. per coin bag. In some embodiments, the coin sleeve has atop footprint of approximately 20-40 sq. in. or approximately 34.6 sq.in. and a bottom footprint of approximately 20-30 sq. in. orapproximately 22.6 sq. in. By offering a greater number of coin bags inthe same footprint, a higher return-on-investment can be offered tooperators of the machine. For example, increasing the density of coinbags in a single machine allots for a higher total value of coins in asingle machine. This, in turn, reduces the frequency of having anarmored carrier out to service the machine, thus reducing the operator'sexpenses.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a coin receptacle sleeve 120 body,illustrating a lower part (or “first portion”) of the sleeve having asmaller cross-sectional area than an upper part (or “second portion”) ofthe sleeve 120 so that the sleeve 120 can fit inside of a standard coinbag 170. As indicated by the reference line labeled “Bag Height,” somecoin bags are designed so as not to extend to the top of the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 and, instead, only rise to a level of thetransition of the cross-sectional area of the receptacle sleeve from thesmaller cross-sectional area to the larger cross-sectional area. Abovethe height of the coin bag 170, the cross-sectional area increases toadvantageously give additional coin fill volume to the level indicatedby the reference line for “Full Coin Height”. At this point, asdescribed below, the coins will complete an overflow circuit sufficientfor a signal indicative of an overflow condition to be generated.

FIG. 10 shows a sleeve deflector 125 disposed inside of the top portionof the coin receptacle sleeve 120. The sleeve deflector 125, asillustrated, is attached to or otherwise integrated with the top portionof the sleeve 120, and includes an upper surface that is angled withrespect to the opening at the top of the sleeve 120. The sleevedeflector 125 changes the trajectory of the coins during fill to ensurea more even coin height and to prevent coins from stacking into columnsin the chalice area beneath the fill location, thereby accommodating amaximum coin volume.

FIG. 5, and more particularly FIGS. 15 and 28, show aspects of a baglogic system in accord with the presently disclosed concepts configuredto determine a state of the bag module, the combination of the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 and coin bag (not shown) disposed thereover, andannunciate the state of the bag module. The bag logic system, as notedabove, monitors correct coin receptacle sleeve 120 position, coin bagpresence, coin presence within the correct coin receptacle sleeve 120,and impending coin overflow from the correct coin receptacle sleeve. Inthis bag logic system, electrical contacts 330, 320, 310, and 300 on themanifold base 140, coin receptacle sleeve handle 130, coin receptaclesleeve 120, and trolley base 110, respectively, provide three possiblecircuits for electric current. Depending on the states of the threecircuits, the state of the bag module is known.

FIG. 15 shows one configuration of manifold springs 330 (shown ascontacts 330 a, 330 b and 330 c), wherein there are three manifoldsprings per coin receptacle sleeve 120 position in the manifold base140. These manifold springs 330 are fastened into the manifold 140, forexample, using clamping members, such as integrated hinged clamps, toretain and provide a pre-load to the manifold springs. The manifoldsprings 330 are connected to a processor board (not shown) at one end(i.e., a fixed end) via a multiplexing interface board and are free tomove vertically on the opposite end, as indicated by the dual-headedvertical arrow in FIG. 6. The middle manifold spring (e.g., spring 330 bin FIG. 15) is at low electrical potential, while the other two manifoldsprings (e.g., springs 330 a, 330 c in FIG. 15) representing the bagstate (e.g., bag-on, bag-off, and coin present) and sleeve position(front or back) originate at high electrical potential.

For each coin receptacle sleeve 120 position, there is a wire coilspring 340 that hangs down into the coin receptacle sleeve cavity. Thiswire coil spring 340, functioning as an overflow spring, is fastenedaround the manifold spring 330 contact 350, electrically connecting thewire coil spring 340 to the multiplexing interface board and processorboard. The free end of the middle manifold spring (at low potential)rests on a lip of the manifold spring contact 350 (at high potential) ina no-sleeve condition (e.g., when a coin receptacle sleeve 120 is not ina proper position). When the coin receptacle sleeve 120 is present andproperly positioned, the manifold spring 330 lifts from the manifoldspring contact 350, by action of the coin receptacle sleeve 120 handle130 and breaks the circuit. The circuit would be renewed when the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 is removed (e.g., the handle 130 no longerupwardly biases the manifold spring 330) or coins contacting the wirecoil spring 340 complete a circuit.

FIG. 9, as well as FIGS. 12 and 13 a-13 c, show views of embodiments ofcoin receptacle sleeve 120 handle 130. The handles 130 keep the topopening of the coin receptacle sleeve at a consistent width while makingit easy to remove the sleeve from a full bag of coins and install intoan empty coin bag. It also has contacts on its top surface which allowbag logic functionality. To this end, each coin receptacle sleeve 120handle 130 has two exposed metal plates 320 which make electricalcontact with the conductive manifold springs 330. On the underside(i.e., the side of the handle or bottom of the handle), these plates 320are electrically connected to the coin receptacle sleeve 120 contacts310, such as is shown in FIG. 12, that run down the sides of the coinreceptacle sleeve. As shown in FIGS. 13 a-13 b, there are twoembodiments of coin receptacle sleeve 120 handle 130 plates or contacts320. One embodiment (FIG. 13 a) is configured to substantiallysimultaneously electrically engage two contacts (bag state and lowpotential) and the other embodiment (FIG. 13 b) is configured tosubstantially simultaneously electrically engage three contacts: lowpotential, bag state (bag-on, bag-off & coins present) and position—bothat high electrical potential. Correspondingly, there are two embodimentsof handle covers, a first embodiment configured to engage with twomanifold springs 330 and the other configured to engage with threemanifold springs. Correct bag position is verified by an open or closedcircuit on the 3^(rd) contact.

FIG. 8 shows the coin receptacle sleeve 120 contacts 310 that run downthe sides of the coin receptacle sleeve. These coin receptacle sleeve120 contacts 310 comprise, in the illustrated example, a thin steelstrip that runs from the coin receptacle sleeve 120 handle 130, down thelength of the coin receptacle sleeve, and hooks underneath the bottomedge of the coin receptacle sleeve 120 contacts 310 to wrap around andengage a bottom interior portion of the coin receptacle sleeve. Thesebottom portions of the coin receptacle sleeve 120 contacts 310 would, ifnot covered by a substantially non-conductive material (e.g., a coinbag), electrically contact the contacts 300 on the trolley 110 (see FIG.14). The contacts 300 shown in the example of FIG. 14 depict thecontacts passing through the molded piece, wherein they are electricallyconnected to one another by a bridge resistor 355. When the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 is inserted into the trolley 110, the bridgeresistor closes the circuit between the two sleeve contacts 310 if asleeve is present without a coin bag.

In view of the above, when the trolley 110 is racked in with a coinreceptacle sleeve 120 inserted, the coin receptacle sleeve handle 130raises the middle manifold spring 330 b off of the spring contact 350,opening circuit 1, represented in FIG. 15. With the trolley 110 and coinreceptacle sleeve 120 racked in, two manifold springs 330 are in contactwith the sleeve handle. If there is no coin bag on the coin receptaclesleeve 120, the coin receptacle sleeve contacts 310 touch the contacts300 on the base 110 of the trolley 100, forming a circuit through thebridge resistor 355 and the known resistance provides a divided voltageon circuit 2. If there is a bag on the coin receptacle sleeve 120,however, the sleeve contacts 310 are insulated from the bridge contacts300, and the circuit is open. Thus, if there is a coin bag on the coinreceptacle sleeve 120, circuit 2 is open. When the coin receptaclesleeve 120 is filled with coins, the coins bridge the gap between theinside surfaces of the sleeve contacts, closing circuit 2. If the coinlevel reaches the overflow spring 340, the current from circuit 1 passesthrough the coins and into overflow spring 340, closing circuit 1.

Accordingly, the following circuit states are presently contemplated:

-   -   Circuit 1 Closed: No Sleeve Present    -   Circuit 1 Closed, Circuit 2 closed (at Voltage C—Coin Present):        Overflow    -   Circuit 1 Open, Circuit 2 Open (Bag is insulator—Voltage A):        -   Sleeve Present, Bag On    -   Circuit 1 Open, Circuit 2 Closed (Known Resistance—Voltage B):        -   Sleeve Present, No Bag    -   Circuit 1 Open, Circuit 2 Closed (Short thru Coins—Voltage C):        -   Sleeve Present, Coins Present    -   Circuit 1 Open, Circuit 3 Open: Sleeve A Present    -   Circuit 1 Open, Circuit 3 Closed: Sleeve B Present

FIG. 16 is a side-view illustration of the manifold 140 of FIG. 15 shownin cross-section. FIG. 17 shows a schematic of the bag logic, whereinthe “Type A” and “Type B” references on the left side of FIG. 17 relateto the two different embodiments of the coin receptacle sleeve 120handle 130 plates or contacts 320 shown in FIGS. 13 a and 13 b. Thereference of “Machine”, “Sleeve” and “Trolley” on the right side of FIG.17 represent the coin processing machine, coin receptacle sleeve 120,and trolley 110, respectively.

The aforementioned bag logic system provides a new approach todetermining the state of the mobile coin receptacle(s). In otheraspects, the bag logic system may monitor, for example, coin receptaclesleeve 120 presence and each coin receptacle sleeve's unique ID usingone of several technologies (e.g., presence and ID is determined byRFID, bar code, sonar, near field communication, Bluetooth, Hall Effect,etc.). For example, an RFID reader or reader/writer (hereinaftercollectively “RFID reader” for brevity) (not shown) can be mountedtoward the front of the coin processing machine and a RFID device orcard (not shown) is fixed to a top portion of the coin receptacle sleeve120. The RFID reader and device/card are aligned so that as a coinreceptacle sleeve 120 is inserted or removed from the machine it passesadjacent the reader/writer to enable, for example, reading of thedevice/card. As a coin receptacle sleeve 120 passes by, the RFID readerindicates that a coin receptacle sleeve 120 has left the coin processingmachine or entered the coin processing machine. The RFID reader alsoreads the coin receptacle sleeve's unique ID, allowing for generallytracking of a location of individual coin receptacle sleeves to providean indication of a status of the machine. Alternatively, the RFIDdevice/card may be disposed on one or more locations of each trolley, soas to, in combination with a stationary RFID reader, enable localizationof the trolleys 110. In another aspects, such RFID device/card may bedisposed on a coin bin, with location tracking being utilized atdifferent points in the transportation of the coin bin from the coinprocessing machine to a final destination (e.g., the RFID device/card ona bin can be scanned when it is removed from the coin processing machineand again when it is loaded into an armored car). In a dual bin machine,an RFID reader may be centrally disposed at the front of the coinprocessing machine to allow it to scan both coin bins. In yet anadditional variant, each coin receptacle sleeve 120 (or bin) hasdisposed thereon a unique barcode and a barcode scanner is utilized toread the barcode as the coin receptacle sleeve 120 is moved relative tothe scanner. Thus, when a trolley bearing coin receptacle sleeves isremoved from the coin processing machine (or a bin or bins are removed),the barcode is scanned and the coin processing machine tracks thechanged status of the coin receptacle sleeves (or bins). In otheroptional configurations, an RFID tag can also or alternatively beincorporated into one or more of the individual bags. In this instance,the RFID tag can include data pertinent to each specific bag, such asthe coin denomination of the bag, a bag serial number, a bag locationand other tracking information, the customer name, the origin anddestination, a time stamp, any abnormalities during the processing ofthe coins in the bag, the potential presence of counterfeit currency,etc. This feature is similarly applicable to coin bin implementations.

In at least some aspects, the tracking of the coin receptacle sleeves120 (or bins) facilitates identification of specific coin receptaclesleeves (or bins) by an attendant attending to the coin processingmachine. The intent is to eliminate or mitigate any confusion as towhich coin sleeves/bags (or bins) need to be changed so that theattendant doesn't mistakenly change the wrong sleeves/bags (or bins). Tothis end, the coin receptacle sleeves 120 and/or trolley cradle elements160 may be color-coded with the rear of the coin receptacle sleevesand/or trolley cradle elements being a different color than the front ofthe coin receptacle sleeves and/or trolley cradle elements. Further oralternatively, an LED printed circuit board (PCB) can be attached toeach sleeve handle to indicate a full bag condition. The LED PCB maycomprise a capacitor or battery to provide cable-less operation forrelatively short periods of time (e.g., 10 minutes or more). The LEDsmay too be color-coded or otherwise marked to indicate separatelywhether a front and/or rear coin receptacle sleeve 120 is full.

In yet other embodiments, a state of a coin receptacle is optionallydetermined using an acoustic (e.g., sonar) or electromagnetic (e.g.,laser) emitter/receiver mounted in the coin processing machine aboveeach coin receptacle sleeve 120 location (or bin location) and thesound/light used to measure the distance to the nearest object, such asa handle 130 of a coin receptacle sleeve 120, a coin bin cover if a coinbin is present (and the floor if a coin bin is not present), and/or evenan upper level of coins disposed within the coin receptacle sleeve. Inanother example, Hall effect sensors are optionally mounted in the coinprocessing machine along a side of each coin bin location and a magnetmounted to or molded on the side of each coin bin provides a field thatcan be sensed by the Hall effect sensors to determine whether or not acoin bin is present. Alternatively, Hall effect sensors are optionallymounted in the manifold base 140 and magnets are mounted to or moldedinto the handles 130 of the coin receptacle sleeves 120 to determinewhether or not a receptacle sleeves is present.

FIGS. 18 a and 18 b show aspects of trolley cradle elements 160, withFIG. 18 a showing a front side of a representative trolley cradleelement 160 that contacts the coin bag in which the coin receptaclesleeve 120 is disposed, and FIG. 18 b showing a rear side of the trolleycradle element 160. The trolley cradle elements 160 (also referred toherein as “receptacle sleeve clamps”) give structural support to thecoin receptacle sleeves 120 when the trolley is racked out of themachine to retain the coin receptacle sleeves in position. The geometryof the trolley cradle elements 160 permits flexibility for sleevebreakaway, if required, and facilitates and guides coin receptaclesleeve 120 insertion. In the illustrated examples, the trolley cradleelements 160 are snap-fit into the trolley 110 base to allow for quickassembly and change of parts as needed. Of course, other conventionalmechanical connection devices may be used. The top of the trolley cradleelements 160 are tapered to help guide the coin receptacle sleeve 120sleeve into the proper position when inserting an empty coin receptaclesleeve (and coin bag disposed thereabout) into the trolley 110.Conventionally, it is very difficult to install the coin bag and placethe coin bag holders into the coin processing machine. The two ribs 161along the back side of the trolley cradle elements 160 provide rigidityand stability in the longitudinal direction, thereby enabling thetrolley cradle elements 160 to transmit a clamping force on the coinreceptacle sleeve 120. As noted above, the geometry of the trolleycradle elements 160 allows these elements to rotate, giving the coinreceptacle sleeve 120 the ability to breakaway from the cradle's graspif hit from the side. This prevents damage from the trolley system incase an attendant accidentally bumps into a racked-out trolley.

FIG. 19 shows a “quad switcher” 500, a configurable manifold 140component that can divert coins from one input tube to one of foursleeves. To maintain the three inch bag compartment needed for 8 linearbag stations, the quad switcher has a rectangular shape. This shapecauses the diverter tube from one quad switcher to swing inside of anadjacent quad switcher by 0.21″ when rotating. However, the quadswitcher 500 may assume other geometries if the three inch bagcompartment constraint is altered.

The quad switcher 500 has a rotatably-disposed, motorized diverter tube510 that can direct coins from another coin input tube (not shown) to upto 4 coin receptacle sleeve 120 positions (in the illustratedembodiment) for filling. Individual positions can also optionally bypassthe diverter tube 510 for direct filling if necessary (e.g., throughupper hold 525 and then lower hole 530 in FIG. 19). The quad switcher500, in the illustrated configuration, is 5.93″ wide by 7.50″ deep,allowing four adjacent quad switchers 500 to mount to the manifold base140 and cover 16 bag/sleeve stations. Because of this optional, butpresently preferred, packaging requirement, the paths of the divertertubes 510, shown by radius R in FIG. 27, overlap. To avoid contactbetween adjacent diverter tubes 510, the position of each diverter tubeis controlled by the motor 540 (e.g., a DC motor, a stepper motor, etc.)and is determined by mechanical stops and a limit switch 520 thatengages with features (e.g. recesses, protuberences, etc.) in thediverter tube at specific locations (e.g., specific angular offsets).

The diverter tube 510 rotates around inside the quad switcher 500 tofill different bags disposed within coin receptacle sleeves 120. Thediverter tube 510 is connected to the motor 540 via a drive system, suchas a pulley and belt drive 545 or a gear system. Features 515 in the topportion of the diverter tube 510, such as dimples on a top edge of thediverter tube, engage with a limit switch to determine an angularposition of the diverter tube. The limit switch 520 is activatedwhenever the roller 522 engages with the dimple 515 in the diverter tube510, which are spaced in approximately 90° (e.g., approximately 80-100°)intervals in the illustrated example. When the limit switch 520 isactive, the diverter tube 510 is aligned correctly above a coinbag/sleeve station. Optionally, an encoder may be utilized to resolvethe angular position of the diverter tube 510 relative to the manifold.

Bypass tubes 560, an example of which is shown in FIG. 23, are used forconfigurations in which all four stations are not the same denomination.For example, the diverter tube 510 can fill stations 1, 2, and 3 withpennies while a separate manifold tube feeds another station withanother denomination. FIG. 24 shows an example wherein the quad switcher500 includes bypass tubes 560 in positions 1 and 2.

FIG. 25 depicts a shell or housing 501 of the “quad switcher” 500, thestructure of the housing 501 defining locations for the bypass tubes560, defining a recess or station for the limit switch 520, and actingas an upper bearing for the diverter tube 510 rotationally disposedrelative thereto. The housing 501 has five openings, in the versionshown, that can receive manifold tubes—one for each of the four possiblebypass tube locations and one in the center for the diverter tube. Abase portion 502 of the “quad switcher” 500 is shown in FIG. 26. thebase portion 502 comprises a generally flat, rigid part on which themotor 540, diverter tube 510, and housing 501 can be releasably mounted(e.g., through snap fittings, male/female connectors, etc.). Positioningholes may optionally be provided to facilitate assembly. As noted above,the distance from the axis of rotation to the edge of each filling holeis 3.175 inches, so the diverter tube 210 travels in an arc with adiameter greater than the width of the quad switcher 500. To account forthis, openings 503 are defined in the side of the housing 501 to permitthe diverter tubes 510 to freely rotate. The positional tracking of thediverter tube 510 further ensures that no two tubes are rotating throughthe same area at the same time.

FIGS. 29-31 show an example of a sorting head 600 that can direct mixedcoin flow into one of two exit slots 605 by activating a motor-drivenblocking pin 610 that blocks the first exit slot. The sorting head 600utilizes, for example, upstream counting (e.g., via a sensor or sensorsembedded in the sorting head along a coin path) so that the mixed coinsdo not have to be mechanically sorted. The first exit slot 605 the coinscome to has a motorized pin 610 that can be extended into, or withdrawnfrom, the exit slot. If the blocking pin 610 is up (e.g., in acontracted non-blocking orientation), all of the coins leave through thefirst exit slot and, for example, into a designated bin or mixed bag.When the first bin or first half of the mixed bags is full, the blockingpin 610 is introduced into the exit slot (e.g., extended into a blockingorientation) to thereby deflect all of the coins to the second exitslot, which directs them, for example, into the second bin or secondhalf of mixed bags. In alternative arrangements, the sorting head 600can have greater or fewer than two exit slots. Optionally, each exitslot or only selected exit slots will include a respective blocking pin.

In accord with at least some concepts, a code (e.g., an alphanumericcode, etc.) is printed on consumer transaction receipts to conveymachine status to attendants (e.g., cashiers, managers, etc.). If themachine doesn't itself provide currency to a customer in exchange forinput coins, every customer would have to take their receipt from theirtransaction to a counter or designated machine to redeem it for cash,gift card, etc. On the bottom of the receipt, a code containsinformation about the status of the machine (e.g., a status of each bag,bag limits, machine errors, and other diagnostic issues), but thisinformation can be deciphered only by an attendant, manager, or otheremployee that has been trained to read it. In this manner, the attendantcan know the status of the machine every time a customer makes atransaction, eliminating the need for the attendant to go to the machineand enter queries into an attendant screen.

In at least some aspects, coins are counted before mechanical sorting.Exit slots can then be controlled to accept different coins, allowing auniversal sorted machine. In current technology, a mix of coins is firstsorted mechanically by diameter thickness in discrete exit slots, wherethe machine counts coins as they pass by a sensor. This requiresaccurate mechanical sorting, so a different head is needed for everycoin set. In accord with aspects of the present concepts, such as thesorting head of FIGS. 29-31, when counting is performed upstream,sensors in the sorting head measure the diameter and eddy current ofcoins as they pass by. Using software, these sensors are able todetermine what denomination each coin is before it enters an exit slot.Universal exit slots can then be programmed to accept denominations bydiameter. The result is a single universal machine that can built andthen programmed to accept any coin set without any mechanical changes.

Further, using such upstream counting technology to count coins may beused to avoid a need to sort the coins for a mixed coin output (mixedbag or bin). Again, using current technology, a mix of coins is firstsorted mechanically by diameter and thickness in discrete exit slots,where the machine counts coins as they pass by a sensor. This requiresaccurate mechanical sorting, so a different head is needed for everycoin set. For mixed output machines, the sorted coins are just mixedtogether again in the manifold. With the upstream counting disclosedherein, the coins are never sorted. Sensors in the sort head measure thediameter and eddy current of individual coins as they pass and softwareuses these measurements to determine the denomination each coin, whichthen exits through either a single exit slot (for single bin) or twoexit slots (dual bin or mixed bag). Since the coins are not sorted, asingle universal machine can be used for any coin set.

Other aspects of the present disclosure may be directed to atrolley-less coin processing system that is implementable with a baglogic system, such as the bag logic system described above with respectto FIGS. 4 and 5, for example. This coin processing system includes oneor more portable coin receptacles for receiving coins from a coinprocessing device (represented herein by the manifold 140 portrayed inFIG. 5), which may include any of the disk-type coin sorters describedabove, the coin processing devices set forth in the patents incorporatedherein by reference, or any other now known or hereinafter developedcoin processing device. In this regard, the trolley-less system can befunctionally and operably configured similar to the embodiments of FIGS.4 and 5, for example, to wirelessly communicate information to acontroller of a coin processing unit, unless otherwise logicallyprohibited.

In one optional configuration, the trolley-less coin processing systemincludes one or more coin receptacle sleeves, which may be similar infunction and design and, thus, can include any of the options andalternatives of the coin receptacle sleeves 120 of FIGS. 4, 5 and 8-11.In this embodiment, however, at least one of the coin receptacle sleeves(and, in some embodiments, at least eight sleeves) is movable into andout of the coin processing system housing without a wheeled trolley. Forexample, the coin receptacle sleeve(s) may not be designed to beoperatively supported on or moved via a wheeled trolley. Alternatively,the coin receptacle sleeve(s) may only be designed to be operativelysupported on or moved via a wheeled trolley once removed from the coinprocessing system's housing. Rather, in some embodiments, the coinreceptacle sleeves are configured to be carried or otherwise manuallytransported, e.g., via one or more handles, shoulder straps, etc. Inthis regard, the manifold or other portion of the coin processing systemor housing may be configured to receive, stow and/or operably supporteach of the coin receptacle sleeves. Some non-limiting examples includeconfigurations with a housing that incorporates one or more channels,guide rails, conveyors, stanchions, locking mechanisms, supportstructures, etc., singly and in any combination, to receive, support,guide and/or secure the coin receptacle sleeves relative to theoutput(s) (e.g., configurable manifold 140 component) of the coinprocessing device. In at least some aspects of the present concepts, thecoin receptacle sleeves are configured to permit removal from thehousing by sliding the coin receptacle sleeves, and respective coin bag,out of the housing without the benefit of any external devices, such aswheels or rollers, to effectuate the movement of the coin receptaclesleeves and their respective coin bags. It may be desirable, in someembodiments, for the housing to include a base fabricated, at least inpart, from acetal resins, such as Delrin®, or similar materials thatprovide high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensionalstability.

In at least one optional embodiment, the coin processing machine ismotion activated, or otherwise is configured to start or respond to aperson that passes within or enters a certain zone relative to a userinterface device (e.g., one or more lasers, a pressure sensitive pad,etc.).

The display device for the coin processing device advantageously maycomprise a 3-D display, and more specifically an autostereoscopicdisplay utilizing autostereoscopic 3D imaging, such as thosemanufactured by Dimensional Technologies, Inc. of Rochester, N.Y. Asanother alternative, the display device for the coin processing devicemay comprise a haptic touch screen display.

In another aspect, the display device may display for the customer abarcode that may then be scanned by the customer using their own cellphone or personal electronic device, where it may then be stored as avirtual gift/loyalty card or optionally sent to someone else. Forexample, once a 2D barcode is stored in the customers cell phone, andoptionally separately logged into a computer system monitoringredemption activities, a retailer may then use a bar code reader to readthe bar code from the customer's cell phone at the point of sale. Thus,a customer at a coin processing machine may elect to redeem their inputfunds (coins, bills, etc.), value cards, store cards, etc., for aselected gift card (e.g., a Target Gift Card), which they then scan intotheir cell phone (e.g., using a camera application, using a near fieldcommunication, etc.) and that virtual Target Gift Card is then stored intheir cell phone. The customer then brings their virtual GiftCard to thestore, presents their cell phone display showing the relevant barcode ata point-of-sale location, and the desired amount is applied to thetransaction. In another example, the barcode may be used by thecustomer, when surfing the web on his or her cell phone, to order aproduct from a company website, and have it shipped to a designatedaddress.

In yet other aspects, the coin processing machine may be optionallyequipped for voice communication, via voice-enabled technology, topermit audible instructions in English, Spanish, or any number of otherlanguages, to users who cannot view information on the display device orwho would otherwise prefer to interact with the coin processing deviceusing audible cues. Audio jacks may optionally be employed incombination with headsets to enhance a degree of privacy and security tothose users desiring audible communication with the coin processingmachine.

Turning next to FIG. 32, a representative coin processing system,designated generally at 700, is illustrated in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure. The coin processing system 700 is portrayedherein by a number of representative parts, including first and secondwheeled bins 710A and 710B, respectively, which are removably lodged incomplementary bin stations 730A and 730B. Each bin station 730A, 730Bincludes a respective floating funnel system 732A and 732B that ismounted to a housing, which is represented herein by a pair of supportcolumns 734A and 734B. The features of the present disclosure are notlimited to the two-bin implementation presented in FIG. 32; rather,these features are similarly amenable to coin processing systems withgreater or fewer than two wheeled bins and corresponding bin stations.In this regard, only selected components of the coin processing system700 have been shown and will be described in detail herein.Nevertheless, the coin processing system 700 can include numerousadditional components, such as a coin processing mechanism, securitydoors, input devices, such as a computer-based user interface, a varietyof output devices, such as display screens, lighting elements, and audiospeakers, many of which are described in the various patents and patentpublications already incorporated herein by reference. Seeing as thesecomponents are well known in the art, they will not be described infurther detail herein.

The wheeled bins 710A, 710B function generally as mobile coinreceptacles—receiving coins from a coin processing device, such as thedisk-type coin sorter described above, and transporting the receivedcoins to another location. Each wheeled bin 710A, 710B includes arespective box-shaped coin container 712A and 712B with a security lid714A and 714B that extends across and covers the container 712A, 712B.The coin containers 712A, 712B and security lids 714A, 714B can befabricated from a variety of rigid and robust materials, includingsynthetic polymers, such as medium density polyethylene, and metallicmaterials, such as aluminum or steel. The coin containers 712A, 712B areeach supported for movement thereof on a respective pair of laterallyspaced casters or wheels 716A and 716B, located at a forward end of thecontainer 712A, 712B. A pair of laterally spaced support stanchions718A, 718B, are located at a rearward end of the container 712A, 712B onthe opposite side of the casters 716A, 716B. In alternativeconfigurations, the wheeled bins 710A, 710B may include greater of fewerthan two casters or wheels each. Moreover, the bins 710A, 710B can bedesigned without wheels and moved via alternative means, such as airbearings, fork lifts, moving dollies, etcetera.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second wheeled bins 710A,710B of FIG. 32 are substantially structurally identical; thus, forbrevity and conciseness, additional features of the bins 710A, 710B willbe described with respect to the wheeled bin 710A portrayed in FIG. 33.The lid 714A of the wheeled bin 710A includes a centrally located hole720A through which coins received from the funnel system 732A pass intothe coin container 712A. Leading and trailing guide ramps 715A and 717A,respectively, are integrally formed in the lid 714A, disposed onopposing sides of the central hole 720A. Hinged to a forward peripheraledge of the container 712A, the lid 714A can be swung open to provideaccess to the inside of the container 712, for example, to simplifyremoval of the contents of the container 712. Conversely, the lid 714Acan be swung closed and locked shut, for example, via an optionalsecurity latch 722A for securing the contents of the container 712A.

The lid 712A can also be provided with optional structural features forsecurely supporting another wheeled bin on top of the wheeled bin 710A.In the illustrated embodiment, these features comprise four recessedstacking platforms: a pair of recessed wheel platforms 728A at a forwardend of the lid 714A for nesting the wheels of another bin, and a pair ofrecessed stanchion platforms 728C at a rearward end of the lid 714A fornesting the support stanchions of another bin. The recessed platforms728A, 728C allow for another wheeled bin, such as the second wheeled bin710B, to be generally immobilized and securely stacked on top of thefirst wheeled bin 710A. The lid 714A can also be provided with anoptional RFID reader or transmitter/receiver for wirelesslycommunicating, receiving and storing information, as developed in detailabove. Moreover, a clean sleeve 729A for holding and displaying areceipt is situated on the top of the lid 714A adjacent the coin hole720A.

The wheeled bin 710A is designed to be quickly and easily moved into andout of the bin station 730A. A socket 724A projects downward from ahitch chassis 726A which projects from the rear side of the coincontainer 712A. A complementary socket-ball of a cantilevered dolly (notshown) can be inserted into the socket 724A. The cantilevered dollyprovides a mechanical advantage (e.g., 10:1) for lifting the rear end ofthe container 712A. By inserting the socket-ball into the socket 724Aand applying a downward force to the opposite end of the cantilevereddolly, a moment arm is applied to the coin container 712A causing thewheeled bin 710A to pitch slightly forward off of the support stanchions718A, placing the weight of the bin 710A on the casters 716A andcantilevered dolly. This allows for the wheeled bin 710A to be readilywheeled in and out of the bin station 730A. To prevent damage tosensitive electronics and other equipment in the bin station 730A, thehousing 734A, 734B and/or bin 710A can be provided with means (e.g., abracket) for limiting the height to which the wheeled bin 710A can beraised. The aforementioned wheel-and-stanchion arrangement, incombination with the use of the cantilevered dolly, helps to minimizethe height of the wheeled bin 710A in comparison to its conventionalcounterparts.

The wheeled bins 710A, 710B, when properly lodged inside theirrespective bin stations 730A, 730B, can wirelessly communicateinformation to the housing 734A, 734B of the coin processing system 700.By way of non-limiting example, the bin logic system of FIG. 32 utilizesa number of electrically conductive interfaces for wirelesslycommunicating information. These electrically conductive interfaces areexemplified in the drawings by two contact blocks 750A and 750B (each ofwhich is also referred to herein as “fifth electrical contact(s)”) thatare connected to respective bin stations 730A, 730B, and two sets ofcontact plates 760A and 760B (each of which is also referred to hereinas “sixth electrical contact(s)”) that are connected to respective bins710A, 710B.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 34, the contact block 750Aincludes three electrical contacts—i.e., first, second and thirdelectrically conductive leaf-type contact springs 752A, 754A, and 756A,respectively. The set of contact plates 760A exemplified in FIG. 33, onthe other hand, includes first and second electrically conductivecontact plates 762A, 764A. As seen in FIG. 32, the contact plates 760A,760B are each located at a lower, forward portion on a side wall of arespective coin container 712A such that when the wheeled bins 710A,710B are functionally lodged inside their respective bin stations 730A,730B, the contact plates 760A, 760B align with and electrically coupleto a corresponding contact block 750A, 750B. In other words, as thefirst wheeled bin 710A is moved into the first bin station 730A, thecontact plates 760A contemporaneously engage the contact block 750A,sequentially pressing against and deflecting the contact springs 752A,754A, and 756A. It should be readily recognized that the location andorientation of the contact blocks 750A, 750B and contact plates 760A,760B can be varied from what is shown in the drawings. By way ofnon-limiting example, the contact plates 760A could be located on thetop of the wheeled bins 710A, 710B (e.g., on the lids 714A, 714B) toelectrically mate with contact blocks 750A, 750B located on acorresponding section of the bin stations 730A, 730B, such as a bottomsurface of one of the floating funnel systems 732A, 732B. It is alsocontemplated that alternative configurations can switch the attachmentpoints of the contact blocks 750A, 750B and contact plates 760A, 760B,i.e., the contact blocks 750A, 750B are attached to the wheeled bins710A, 710B and the contact plates 760A, 760B are attached to the binstations 730A, 730B.

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram illustrating the logic of the electricalcontacts presented in FIGS. 32-34. As previously noted, the contactplates 760A are designed to press against and electrically connect withone or more of the contact springs 752A, 754A, 756A when the wheeled bin710A is properly positioned inside the bin station 730A underneath thefunnel system 732A to receive therefrom processed coins. Onceconductively coupled, these electrically conductive interfaces areoperable to communicate information to the bin station 730A. In thisarrangement, described further below, the bin logic system candetermine, singly or in combination, whether a wheeled bin 710A ispresent inside the bin station 730A and the coin container 712A is inthe correct position (e.g., properly oriented to receive processed coinsfrom a coin processing device), whether there are coins in the container712A, and if there is an overflow of coins out of the coin container712A.

With continued reference to FIG. 35, the bin logic system can determinethat a wheeled bin 710A is present inside (or absent from) the binstation 730A and, in some embodiments, whether the coin container 712Ais in the correct position for receiving processed coins. This can beaccomplished, for example, through synchronous engagement between thefirst and second contact springs 752A, 754A and the first contact plate762A. In particular, when the bin 710A is functionally received by thebin station 730A, the first contact plate 762A short circuits (i.e.,completes an electrical path between) the first and second contactsprings 752A, 754A whereby an electrical signal (illustrated as a 5Vcurrent) is passed from the first contact spring 752A to the secondcontact spring 754A, which is ground. As indicated in the chart of FIG.35, a zero voltage across V1 is indicative of a bin being present,whereas a voltage signal (e.g., 5V) across V1 is indicative of a binbeing absent from the bin station 730A. As an aside, the first andsecond contact plates 762A, 764A are illustrated in FIG. 35 as eachcomprising a tripartite construction with opposing inside and outsidebin plates that are attached by electrically conductive fasteners. Itshould be noted, however, that this arrangement is not critical thefunctionality of the bin logic system; as such, each of the contactplates 762A, 764A of FIG. 35 could just as easily be replaced with asingle piece, integrally formed contact plate.

The illustrated bin logic system is also operable to determine whetherthere are coins present inside the coin container 712A or,alternatively, whether a predetermined number of coins have beenreceived by the coin container 712A. This is accomplished, for example,through synchronous engagement between the second and third contactsprings 754A, 756A and the first and second contact plates 762A, 762B.Specifically, when a minimum number of coins (e.g., 500-1000) arepresent inside the container 712A (which is portrayed in FIG. 35 forexplanatory purposes as “Conductive Coin Mass”) an electrical path isformed such that an electrical signal (illustrated as a 5V current) ispassed from the third contact spring 756A, through the second contactplate 764A to the first contact plate 762A via the coins, and groundedthrough the second contact spring 754A. As indicated in the chart ofFIG. 35, a zero voltage across V2 is indicative of coins being presentinside the coin container 712A.

The bin logic system of FIG. 35 can further determine if there is anoverflow situation in the coin container 712A, for example, through theshorting of an “overflow circuit.” This can include, for example, thesynchronous engagement between the first contact plate 642A, the secondcontact spring 754A, and an overflow contact plate 766A mountedproximate the hole 720A of the lid 714A. By way of clarification, whenthe coin container 712A is filled to capacity, coins will begin to flowout of the hole 720A in the lid 714A and eventually touch the overflowcontact plate 766A, which is located, in some embodiments, on a bottomsurface of the funnel 740A of the floating funnel system 732A. In sodoing, the overflowing coins short circuit (i.e., form an electricalpath between) the overflow contact plate 766A and the first contactplate 762A whereby an electrical signal (illustrated as a 5V current) ispassed from the overflow contact plate 766A and grounded through thesecond contact spring 754A. As indicated in the chart of FIG. 35, a zerovoltage across V3 is indicative of coins overflowing out of thecontainer 712A. As an optional feature, the second contact spring 754Aalso acts as an electrostatic discharge (ESD) path for grounding staticelectricity generated by the coins as they discharge into the coincontainer 712A.

Turning next to FIG. 32, with collective reference to FIGS. 33 and 36-38as well, each of the bin stations 730A and 730B includes a coin manifold(not shown) with an optional floating funnel system 732A and 732B thathangs downwardly therefrom. Each of the floating funnel systems 732A,732B comprises a respective coin funnel 740A and 740B that is movablymounted to the coin manifold and configured to direct coins receivedfrom the coin processing unit into the coin containers 712A, 712B (e.g.,via the opening 720A in the lid 714A) of the wheeled bins 710A, 710B. Inthe illustrated embodiment, a metal bracket 742A and 742B is utilized tomovably mount each of the coin funnels 740A, 740B to the coin manifold,as developed in further detail hereinbelow. A stationary tube 744A and744B directs coins from a coin processing unit (not shown) via the coinmanifold to a respective coin funnel 740A and 740B. A first “upper” endof each stationary tube 744A, 744B is rigidly fastened or otherwisemechanically attached to the coin manifold. On the opposite side of thetube 744A, 744B, the second “lower” end is aligned with, but notdirectly attached to the coin funnel 740A, 740B. In some embodiments,the diameter of funnel hole 738A is larger than diameter of the secondend of the stationary tube 744A, but smaller than the opening 720A inthe lid 714A.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the coin funnels 740A, 740B hasat least one degree of translational freedom and at least one degree ofrotational freedom. For instance, the coin funnel 740A illustrated inFIG. 38 has a pair of tabs 741A and 743A, each of which projectstransversely from and extends generally vertically along a respectiveside of the funnel 740A. These tabs 741A, 743A are each received in acomplementary elongated guide slot 745A and 747A, respectively, that isformed through a corresponding support plate 746A and 748A of thebracket 740A. The aforementioned guide slots 745A, 747A extendvertically such that the coin funnel 740A can translate up and down, asindicated by the vertically oriented dual-headed arrow in FIG. 32. Inaddition, as seen in FIG. 37, the width of the guide slots 745A,747A—i.e., narrows from top to bottom, such that the tabs 741A, 743A canpivot inside the guide slots 745A, 747A and, thus, the coin funnel 740Acan pitch forward and backward, as indicated by the arcuate dual-headedarrow in FIG. 32. The limits of translation and rotation are defined bythe geometry of the translating funnel tracks. The floating funnelsystems 732A, 732B may also be provided with an optional swivelmechanism which would allow the funnel 740A, 740B to rotate about avertical axis.

As mentioned above, leading and trailing guide ramps 715A, 717A areintegrally formed in the lid 714A of the bin 710A, each of which isdisposed on an opposing side of the central hole 720A. When the wheeledbin 710A is moved into or out of the bin station 730A, the lid 714A willcome into contact with the floating funnel system 732A, and one of theguide ramps 715A, 717A will slidably press against and direct the coinfunnel 740A to the opening 720A. This contact will cause the translatingcoin funnel 740A to rise and pivot as needed to clear the top of the bin710A. The vertically oriented sidewalls of the guide ramps 715A, 717Aact as guiding surfaces to ensure that the coin funnel 740A properlyaligns with the opening 720A. In addition, the coin funnel's 740Aability to pivot (i.e., pitch backward and forward) ensures that theangle of the guide ramps 715A, 717A complements the underside surface ofthe coin funnel 740A. In optional arrangements, biasing members, such ashelical compression springs, can be employed to bias the coin funnels740A, 740B downwards. Otherwise, the coin funnels 740A, 740B naturallytranslate downwards under the force of gravity. When the bin 710A islowered off the dolly to a final position, the translating coin funnel740A will lower as well. The rotational freedom of the coin funnel 740Aabout a lateral axis will permit a surface to surface seal between thefunnel 740A and the lid 714A, minimizing or otherwise preventing coinleakage. This rotational freedom helps to ensure a seal that willcompensate for a reasonable difference between the angle of the coinprocessing system 700 and the angle of the bin 710A.

As to some aspects of the disclosed concepts, the spirit of maintaininga wireless connection between the trolley/bin and manifold system is akey element of design. Even though some of the illustrated embodimentsdo not use wiring that allows for feedback when the trolley/bin ispulled out of the processing machine, that does not preclude the use ofwireless sensors (such as intelligent sensors and devices employingspread spectrum signal hopping, such as Bluetooth, to allow fornetworking of the devices). For instance, an RFID tag can be utilized toprovide, for example, a tracking number for managing the trolleys/binsand, in some embodiments, to provide a mechanism for a Close LoopSettlement process, whereby the Coin Processing machine can write theCoin Count Totals and Date and Time to an internal memory of the RFIDtag for use at the coin processing center to provide additional levelsof coin transfer integrity in the coin processing settlement process.

While many preferred embodiments and best modes for carrying out thepresent disclosure have been described in detail above, those familiarwith the art to which this disclosure relates will recognize variousalternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coin processing system for processing andtransmitting coins to one or more coin bags, the coin processing systemcomprising: a housing with a coin input area configured to receive abatch of coins; a coin processing unit operatively coupled to the coininput area, the coin processing unit being configured to count,discriminate, sort, value, or any combination thereof, coins receivedfrom the coin input area; a wheeled trolley removably disposed withinthe housing, the wheeled trolley including a base and a removable coinreceptacle sleeve supported by the base, the wheeled trolley beingconfigured to receive at least some of the coins output from the coinprocessing unit, the wheeled trolley including a first electricalcontact; and a controller with a communication interface operativelyattached to the housing, the communication interface including a secondelectrical contact configured to wirelessly communicate electricalsignals with the first electrical contact of the wheeled trolley,wherein the base of the wheeled trolley includes the first electricalcontact, and the removable coin receptacle sleeve includes a thirdelectrical contact configured to cooperate with the first electricalcontact to thereby wirelessly communicate to the communication interfaceof the controller via the second electrical contact a signal indicativeof at least one of the presence or absence of a coin bag on the wheeledtrolley.
 2. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the removablecoin receptacle sleeve has an upper portion adjacent a lower portion, atleast the lower portion of the removable coin receptacle sleeve beingconfigured to fit inside the coin bag, at least the upper portion of theremovable coin receptacle sleeve being configured to extend out of thecoin bag such that a full coin height to which coins can be fed into theremovable coin receptacle sleeve is above a bag height of the coin bag.3. The coin processing system of claim 2, wherein the upper portion hasa first volume and the lower portion has a second volume smaller thanthe first volume.
 4. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein theremovable coin receptacle sleeve includes an elongated hollow tubularbody with a first opening having a first size at an upper end of thetubular body, and a second opening having a second size at a lower endof the tubular body, the first size being larger than the second size.5. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the removable coinreceptacle sleeve is configured to maintain the received coins within aconfined footprint.
 6. The coin processing system of claim 1, whereinthe removable coin receptacle sleeve is configured to provide agenerally rigid internal geometry to the coin bag.
 7. The coinprocessing system of claim 1, wherein the removable coin receptaclesleeve includes a sleeve deflector configured to change a trajectory ofthe coins received from the coin processing unit.
 8. The coin processingsystem of claim 1, wherein the removable coin receptacle sleeve includesa handle extending across an opening in the top of the coin receptaclesleeve, the handle being configured to maintain the opening at aconstant width.
 9. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein thewheeled trolley includes one or more receptacle sleeve clamps configuredto secure the coin receptacle sleeve to the base and support the coinreceptacle sleeve in an upright position.
 10. The coin processing systemof claim 1, wherein the first electrical contact includes a pair ofcontact plates mounted to the base and connected by a resistor, and thethird electrical contact includes a pair of contact strips each mountedto a respective side of the removable coin receptacle sleeve, andwherein, in the absence of a coin bag, each of the contact plates isconfigured to abut a respective one of the contact strips therebycompleting an electrical path therebetween.
 11. The coin processingsystem of claim 1, wherein the wheeled trolley includes a plurality ofcoin receptacle sleeves, the coin processing system further comprising acoin diverting mechanism configured to switchably direct coins receivedfrom the coin processing unit to a selected one or ones of the pluralityof coin receptacle sleeves.
 12. The coin processing system of claim 1,wherein the wheeled trolley includes at least one of an RFID device, abar code, a sonar device, and a Hall Effect device to wirelesslycommunicate the information to the communication interface of thecontroller.
 13. A coin processing system for processing and transmittingcoins to one or more coin bags, the coin processing system comprising: ahousing with a coin input area configured to receive a batch of coins; acoin processing unit operatively coupled to the coin input area, thecoin processing unit being configured to count, discriminate, sort,value, or any combination thereof, coins received from the coin inputarea; a wheeled trolley removably disposed within the housing, thewheeled trolley including a base and a removable coin receptacle sleevesupported by the base, the wheeled trolley being configured to receiveat least some of the coins output from the coin processing unit, thewheeled trolley including a first electrical contact; and a controllerwith a communication interface operatively attached to the housing, thecommunication interface including a second electrical contact configuredto wirelessly communicate electrical signals with the first electricalcontact of the wheeled trolley, wherein the removable coin receptaclesleeve includes an additional electrical contact configured to cooperatewith the second electrical contact operatively attached to the housingto thereby wirelessly communicate to the communication interface of thecontroller a signal indicative of at least one of a presence or aposition of the removable coin receptacle sleeve relative to thehousing.
 14. The coin processing system of claim 13, wherein theremovable coin receptacle sleeve includes a handle, the housing includesa coin manifold, the additional electrical contact includes a pair ofcontact plates mounted to the handle, the second electrical contactincludes a pair of springs mounted to the coin manifold, and wherein,when the wheeled trolley is functionally received by the housing, eachof the contact plates touches a respective one of the springs therebycompleting an electrical path therebetween.
 15. A coin processing systemfor processing and transmitting coins to one or more coin bags, the coinprocessing system comprising: a housing with a coin input areaconfigured to receive a batch of coins; a coin processing unitoperatively coupled to the coin input area, the coin processing unitbeing configured to count, discriminate, sort, value, or any combinationthereof, coins received from the coin input area; a wheeled trolleyremovably disposed within the housing, the wheeled trolley including abase and a removable coin receptacle sleeve supported by the base, thewheeled trolley being configured to receive at least some of the coinsoutput from the coin processing unit, the wheeled trolley including afirst electrical contact; and a controller with a communicationinterface operatively attached to the housing, the communicationinterface including a second electrical contact configured to wirelesslycommunicate electrical signals with the first electrical contact of thewheeled trolley, wherein the removable coin receptacle sleeve includes athird electrical contact configured to cooperate with the secondelectrical contact to thereby wirelessly communicate to thecommunication interface of the controller a signal indicative of acharacteristic of coins inside the removable coin receptacle sleeve. 16.The coin processing system of claim 15, wherein the housing furtherincludes a coin manifold, the second electrical contact includes a pairof springs mounted to the coin manifold, and the third electricalcontact includes a pair of contact strips each mounted to a respectiveside of the removable coin receptacle sleeve, and wherein, in thepresence of a minimum number of coins, an electrical path is formedbetween the pair of springs and the pair of contact strips via thecoins.
 17. A coin processing system for processing and transmittingcoins to one or more coin bags, the coin processing system comprising: ahousing with a coin input area configured to receive a batch of coins; acoin processing unit operatively coupled to the coin input area, thecoin processing unit being configured to count, discriminate, sort,value, or any combination thereof, coins received from the coin inputarea; a wheeled trolley removably disposed within the housing, thewheeled trolley including a base and a removable coin receptacle sleevesupported by the base, the wheeled trolley being configured to receiveat least some of the coins output from the coin processing unit, thewheeled trolley including a first electrical contact; and a controllerwith a communication interface operatively attached to the housing, thecommunication interface including a second electrical contact configuredto wirelessly communicate electrical signals with the first electricalcontact of the wheeled trolley, wherein the removable coin receptaclesleeve includes a handle, the first electrical contact includes two ormore contact plates mounted to the handle, the second electrical contactincluding two or more electrical contacts, the two or more contactplates being configured to substantially simultaneously engage the twoor more electrical contacts when the wheeled trolley is functionallyreceived by the housing.
 18. The coin processing system of claim 17,wherein the wheeled trolley includes a plurality of coin receptaclesleeves, the coin processing system further comprising a coin divertingmechanism configured to switchably direct coins received from the coinprocessing unit to a selected one or ones of the plurality of coinreceptacle sleeves.
 19. The coin processing system of claim 18, whereinthe coin diverting mechanism includes a driving mechanism coupled to arotatable diverter tube, the driving mechanism being configured toselectively rotate the diverter tube between a plurality of sleevepositions, wherein, at each of the sleeve positions, coins received bythe coin diverting mechanism pass through the diverter tube into theselected one of the plurality of coin receptacle sleeves.
 20. The coinprocessing system of claim 19, wherein the coin diverting mechanismfurther includes a limit switch connected to the driving mechanism andconfigured to engage with positioning features of the diverter tube toregulate the rotation of the diverter tube.
 21. The coin processingsystem of claim 19, wherein the coin diverting mechanism furthercomprises one or more stationary bypass tubes each of which directscoins received by the coin diverting mechanism past the diverter tube toone of the sleeve positions.
 22. The coin processing system of claim 17,further comprising a programmable sorting head configured to direct coinflow into a selected one of a plurality of exit slots by activating amotor-driven pin to block another one of the plurality of exit slots.23. The coin processing system of claim 17, wherein the wheeled trolleyincludes at least one of an RFID device, a bar code, a sonar device, anda Hall Effect device to wirelessly communicate the information to thecommunication interface of the controller.
 24. A coin processing systemfor processing and transmitting coins to one or more coin bags, the coinprocessing system comprising: a housing with a coin input areaconfigured to receive a batch of coins; a coin processing unitoperatively coupled to the coin input area, the coin processing unitbeing configured to count, discriminate, sort, value, or any combinationthereof, coins received from the coin input area; a wheeled trolleyremovably disposed within the housing, the wheeled trolley including abase and a removable coin receptacle sleeve supported by the base, thewheeled trolley being configured to receive at least some of the coinsoutput from the coin processing unit, the wheeled trolley including afirst electrical contact; and a controller with a communicationinterface operatively attached to the housing, the communicationinterface including a second electrical contact configured to wirelesslycommunicate electrical signals with the first electrical contact of thewheeled trolley, wherein the second electrical contact comprises one ormore manifold spring assemblies each including first and second contactsprings, the first contact spring being configured to electricallydisconnect the spring assembly in the presence of the wheeled trolley,and the second contact spring being configured to electrically reconnectthe spring assembly when coins received in the present wheeled trolleyreach a predetermined overflow height.
 25. A mobile coin receptacleassembly for a coin processing system having a housing configured toreceive a batch of coins, a coin processing unit operable to processcoins received by the housing, a coin bag, and a controller with acommunication interface, the mobile coin receptacle assembly comprising:a movable trolley configured to removably insert into the housing of thecoin processing system, the trolley having a base with a firstelectrical contact operatively attached thereto, the first electricalcontact being configured to wirelessly communicate electrical signalswith the controller via a second electrical contact of the communicationinterface; and a coin receptacle sleeve removably attached to thetrolley and supported by the base, the coin receptacle sleeve beingconfigured to receive through an opening in an upper portion thereof atleast some of the coins output from the coin processing unit, whereinthe coin receptacle sleeve includes a third electrical contactconfigured to cooperate with the first electrical contact to therebywirelessly communicate to the communication interface of the controllervia the second electrical contact a signal indicative of at least one ofthe presence or absence of a coin bag on the trolley.
 26. The mobilecoin receptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the removable coinreceptacle sleeve includes a lower portion adjacent the upper portion,at least the lower portion of the removable coin receptacle sleeve beingconfigured to fit into to the coin bag, the upper portion beingconfigured to extend out of the coin bag such that a full coin height towhich coins can be fed into the removable coin receptacle sleeve isabove a bag height of the coin bag.
 27. The mobile coin receptacleassembly of claim 26, wherein the upper portion has a firstcross-sectional area and the lower portion has a second cross-sectionalarea smaller than the first cross-sectional area.
 28. The mobile coinreceptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the coin receptacle sleeveincludes an elongated hollow body with a first opening having a firstsize at an upper end of the hollow body, and a second opening having asecond size at a lower end of the hollow body, the first size beinglarger than the second size.
 29. The mobile coin receptacle assembly ofclaim 25, wherein the coin receptacle sleeve is configured to maintainthe received coins within a confined footprint.
 30. The mobile coinreceptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the coin receptacle sleeve isconfigured to slide inside of the coin bag and to provide a generallyrigid internal geometry to the coin bag.
 31. The mobile coin receptacleassembly of claim 25, wherein the coin receptacle sleeve includes asleeve deflector configured to change a trajectory of the coins receivedfrom the coin processing unit.
 32. The mobile coin receptacle assemblyof claim 25, wherein the coin receptacle sleeve includes a handleextending across the opening in the top of the coin receptacle sleeve,the handle being configured to maintain the opening at a constant width.33. The mobile coin receptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the wheeledtrolley includes one or more receptacle sleeve clamps attached to andprojecting from the base of the trolley, the one or more receptaclesleeve clamps being configured to attach the coin receptacle sleeve tothe base and support the coin receptacle sleeve in an upright position.34. The mobile coin receptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the firstelectrical contact comprises a first plurality of electrical contacts,and the second electrical contact comprises a second plurality ofelectrical contacts each configured to mate with a respective contact ofthe first plurality of electrical contacts and thereby wirelesslycommunicate electrical signals with the communication interface of thecontroller.
 35. The mobile coin receptacle assembly of claim 34, whereinthe electrical signals are indicative of a presence of the mobile coinreceptacle proximate the housing, a position of the mobile coinreceptacle relative to the housing, a characteristic of coins stowed bythe mobile coin receptacle, or a presence of a coin bag on the mobilecoin receptacle, or any combination thereof.
 36. The mobile coinreceptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the first electrical contactincludes a pair of contact plates mounted to the base and connected by aresistor, and the third electrical contact includes a pair of contactstrips each mounted to a respective side of the coin receptacle sleeve,and wherein, in the absence of a coin bag, each of the contact plates isconfigured to abut a respective one of the contact strips therebycompleting an electrical path therebetween.
 37. The mobile coinreceptacle assembly of claim 25, wherein the trolley includes at leastone of an RFID device, a bar code, a sonar device, and a Hall Effectdevice to wirelessly communicate the information to the communicationinterface of the controller.
 38. A mobile coin receptacle assembly for acoin processing system having a housing configured to receive a batch ofcoins, a coin processing unit operable to process coins received by thehousing, a coin bag, and a controller with a communication interface,the mobile coin receptacle assembly comprising: a movable trolleyconfigured to removably insert into the housing of the coin processingsystem, the trolley having a base with a first electrical contactoperatively attached thereto, the first electrical contact beingconfigured to wirelessly communicate electrical signals with thecontroller via a second electrical contact of the communicationinterface; and a coin receptacle sleeve removably attached to thetrolley and supported by the base, the coin receptacle sleeve beingconfigured to receive through an opening in an upper portion thereof atleast some of the coins output from the coin processing unit, whereinthe coin receptacle sleeve includes an additional electrical contactconfigured to cooperate with the second electrical contact operativelyattached to the housing to thereby wirelessly communicate to thecommunication interface of the controller a signal indicative of atleast one of a presence or a position of the coin receptacle sleeverelative to the housing.
 39. The mobile coin receptacle assembly ofclaim 38, wherein the coin receptacle sleeve includes a handle, thehousing includes a coin manifold, the additional electrical contactincludes a pair of contact plates mounted to the handle, the secondelectrical contact includes a pair of springs mounted to the coinmanifold, and wherein, when the mobile coin receptacle is functionallyreceived by the housing, each of the contact plates touches a respectiveone of the springs thereby completing an electrical path therebetween.40. A mobile coin receptacle assembly for a coin processing systemhaving a housing configured to receive a batch of coins, a coinprocessing unit operable to process coins received by the housing, acoin bag, and a controller with a communication interface, the mobilecoin receptacle assembly comprising: a movable trolley configured toremovably insert into the housing of the coin processing system, thetrolley having a base with a first electrical contact operativelyattached thereto, the first electrical contact being configured towirelessly communicate electrical signals with the controller via asecond electrical contact of the communication interface; and a coinreceptacle sleeve removably attached to the trolley and supported by thebase, the coin receptacle sleeve being configured to receive through anopening in an upper portion thereof at least some of the coins outputfrom the coin processing unit, wherein the coin receptacle sleeveincludes a third electrical contact configured to cooperate with thesecond electrical contact to thereby wirelessly communicate to thecommunication interface of the controller a signal indicative of acharacteristic of coins inside the coin receptacle.
 41. The mobile coinreceptacle assembly of claim 40, wherein the housing further includes acoin manifold, the second electrical contact includes a pair of springsmounted to the coin manifold, and the third electrical contact includesa pair of contact strips each mounted to a respective side of the coinreceptacle sleeve, and wherein, in the presence of a minimum number ofcoins, an electrical path is formed between the pair of springs and thepair of contact strips via the coins.